Carpe Diem - Part II

Good morning to everyone. To the brothers and sisters from Agape UMC, I was sorry we missed our Sunday worship service due to inclement weather, but I have included in this week's post a summary of what was to be preached on Sunday (following our preaching calendar).

The text for this sermon was 1 Samuel 17:32-50.

Last week the call was to Carpe Diem, to “Seize the Day!” To seize the day (or moment) of God’s salvation and opportunity to be and do all that God wills of us. And in the words of Mr. Keating (Dead Poets Society English teacher), “Carpe Diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary!” Usually when we think of an “extraordinary” life we think of some great, awesome, and impressive achievement that someone has accomplished. Breaking a long-standing sports record, inventing a successful product, becoming an executive of a large corporation, etc., are all examples of great achievements. But what was “extraordinary” to Jesus? After he had described the “greatness” of the Gentiles, Jesus reminded his disciples, “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). James took it a step further and wrote, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up (or exalt you)” (James 4:10).

These two verses to hand in hand – a servant must be humble before the Lord, and the Lord will do the exalting. A humble servant dependent on God’s promises and grace will yield “greatness” in God’s kingdom. When greatness ultimately depends on us, then it ceases to be Christ-like. Why? Because to be a humble servant in God’s hands means we align ourselves with God’s agenda whereas following our own agenda will yield a “distorted” greatness – one most likely aligned to self-centered ambition. In other words, just the way Jesus was and did what he heard and saw in the Father, so we must be about being and doing what Jesus has taught us to be and do – a humble servant dependent on God’s grace working for His purposes.

I. 1 Samuel 17:32-50
A. This passage of 1 Samuel narrated the awesome and unbelievable victory of an apparently insignificant shepherd boy, David, over a Philistine “giant”, Goliath.
B. This is the ultimate underdog triumph in Scripture. This story has all the elements of a classic moment in history – a sling and stones versus sword, spear, and javelin; defiant military aggression versus purity and faith; of right versus might; of tall versus short; and of youth versus maturity.[1]
C. Regardless of how we might understand Goliath’s size, he was nevertheless and without a doubt a “giant” obstacle and source of fear for King Saul’s army. An often overlooked question is: Why was not the mighty King Saul not trusting in God and motivating and leading his army against Goliath? After all, he had been described as one who himself was of good size. King Saul seemed to be the obvious match for Goliath.[2]
D. The truth is that a less than qualified “soldier”, a shepherd to be exact, placed his sight not on the might of the armies but on the living God who leads the army! A humble servant who trusted and placed his life in God’s hands to fulfill his purpose was ultimately victorious over Goliath and the “giant” obstacle and trial before him.
E. David Carpe Diem, seized the day, and trusted God to lead him to victory.

II. Application/Conclusion
A. We can identify with David’s story in many ways. Who of us can remember a “bully” situation that we had to overcome? Or a “giant” obstacle, trial, or life situation where we needed a “miracle victory”? David’s trust in the living God set the pace for us to also trust in God.
B. As David did, we can seize the day/moment of our faith and set our eyes on the God of all power and love instead on the “giant” source of our fears.

[1] Arnold, Bill T. The NIV Application Commentary: 1 and 2 Samuel, 2003.
[2] Ibid.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being at my side when I have faced my most "giant" of all problems and trials. Help me to be faithful to You in all of my ways. And grant me the faith to seize the day of being a humble servant in your hands. In your Name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David